Sen. Hillary Clinton arrives for a series of votes on the U.S. Senate floor, May 13, 2008. (Photo: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)

by Rick Pearson

Hours before the polls closed in West Virginia, Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign turned on the spin machine, issuing a memo arguing that the state's Democratic presidential primary results really do matter regardless of rival Sen. Barack Obama's lead in convention nominating delegates and popular vote totals.

"Given the attempts by our opponent and some in the media to declare this race over, any significant increase in voter turnout, coupled with a decisive Clinton victory, would send a strong message that Democrats remain excited and energized by Hillary's candidacy," the New York senator's campaign wrote.

"In the face of grim poll numbers, the Obama campaign has attempted to dismiss today's outcome despite the fact that Sen. Obama has outspent us on advertising, has more staff in the state, and more than double the number of offices," the Clinton camp wrote.

The words coming out of Clinton's campaign acknowledge the need for her to score a sizable victory to overcome a ho-hum belief that wins in West Virginia and next week in Kentucky are beside-the-point speed bumps in the way of an Obama nomination.

The Clinton campaign maintains that her ability to win over poorer, less-educated, more conservative white blue-collar workers and women points to a key defect in an Obama general election candidacy. Those demographics fit Clinton in West Virginia and Kentucky as well.

As for West Virginia, the Clinton campaign notes the eventual Democratic nominee has carried the state's primary for the past 32 years. Of course, for many years West Virginia has held its primary in early May, well after the presidential frontrunner was established.

The Clinton campaign also notes that no Democrat has won the presidency without a victory in West Virginia since 1916. Clinton's husband carried the state in the 1992 and 1996 elections, but President Bush won West Virginia in 2000 and 2004.

"Sen. Clinton has already won Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan," her campaign said, noting the still-disputed contests of Florida and Michigan, which had their delegates stripped for advancing their primaries before Feb. 5.

"With a win in West Virginia, Sen. Clinton will have once again proven her greater ability to win in the key swing states," her campaign said.

Comments

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

All voters matter and so do their votes. Good Luck, Senator Clinton! You have been an inspiration to a lot of men and women during this campaign. You have also said some disturbing things about Senator Obama. I hope he and you can sit down and iron out your differences. He has shown himself to be an honorable man and I am positive he will respect your situation! The Democratic Party needs you, America needs you and Senator Obama needs you in his victorious campaign against Senator John " questionable conduct " McCain and the Republicans!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.

"The Clinton campaign maintains that her ability to win over poorer, less-educated, more conservative white blue-collar workers and women points to a key defect in an Obama general election candidacy."

So Clinton calls her supporters in those states poor and less-educated, and they still vote for her? If they still do, then I guess they are "less-educated." Is this a new form of pandering, like 'reverse pandering' pandering. I don't understand it. I guess in the end these results won't matter, Obama won't be affected too much. Let's see how Clinton spins this as a major victory, and how much momentum this gives her.

Hilary has sold herself to the people of West Virginia, partly, I suspect, because her "experience" diatribe has succeeded. Here's why the alleged lack of experience attributed to her rival, Obama, is worse than nonsense: Experience? How much experience did Abraham Lincoln have? He served some time in the Illinois House and one apparently unremarkable term in the US House. He lost a Senate seat to Douglas, but two years later he was President. Why? He brought a fresh new perspective to Washington. He was not bound by the same old assumptions harbored by residents of the Nation’s capitol.

Psychologist George Kelly once commented on a school principle he knew: this “educator” had one year of experience repeated thirteen times. New members of government too often come to Washington and, during their first year, learn what to believe, think and how to behave from people already there. Then, too many of them, carry that initially learned thinking and behavior, unchanged, through the rest of their time in the capitol. In the course of their tenure in Washington, the assumptions behind what they have learned become submerged … non-conscious. Dredging up those assumptions and examining them in the light of day doesn’t occur to them. Little wonder that archaic and faulty thinking lives on so long.

What we sorely need now is a President who is not bound by the same old tired assumptions that lie behind the mentality of Washington politicians. As was true of Lincoln’s time, we need someone with fresh ideas that address the unique problems currently challenging us. Obama is that person.

First they count, then they don't count now they count again. She keeps trying to change the rules just to make it look like she is winning. Obviously she is not a team player, you do not change the rules just to win.

Shame !!!Shame!! just another politican willing to do anything to get elected.

Hillary's WV victory speech will end with her dropping out of the race. She can end on a high note, her biggest margin of the primary season.

- - - - - OR - - - - -

She will talk about taking this all the way to the White House and how she still has the opportunity to secure the nomination. She will fire up the few poor saps left that have any money left and ask for more donations, thus offsetting some of her massive campaign debt. Really, I think she's using these final contests to recoup cash; what other reason for her to continue is there?

If I were a betting woman, I would put my money on option two. She is not graceful enough to do the right thing.

She has stooped to just being a woman in the race now. She is building up points for the next woman to run. Thats the only thing that makes sense. And that Florida Michigan stuff just goes to show you who wear are really dealing with. She acts like people are too dumb to realize she gave her word by OATH. Its insulting.

Howard Dean is a nut and a disaster for the DNC. Hillary is not going anywhere until the situation with FL and MI is resolved. Dean's plan, as far as I can tell, was to refuse to seat their delegates, then decided they should be seated, then didn't want to pay for it, and now will take the matter up again in late May. What a joke. If the DNC really wanted this thing over, they should have settled this situation long ago. It would have probably been a pretty even split, taking away what I consider Hillary's last remaining straw. Holding out hope for superdelegates is a pipe dream for her. Superdelegates are terrified of the rabid far left, and wouldn't dare override the popular and delegate vote for their darling Obama. Only Dean and the DNC could find a way to blow an election with so many people upset with the GOP.

Hillary makes women and men proud who are proud of strong and capable women...and gives us hope for the world our daughters and sons will occupy...however, if she's not the candidate many of us will do the unthinkable...stay at home or vote for John McCain...if you don't believe it...just wait.

Hillary makes women and men proud who are proud of strong and capable women...and gives us hope for the world our daughters and sons will occupy...however, if she's not the candidate many of us will do the unthinkable...stay at home or vote for John McCain...if you don't believe it...just wait.

How utterly immature. It's not as if the nomination was stolen from HRC. If Obama wins, he did it fair and square. One would think that Hillary is the last chance to elect a woman president.

That idea is so dismissive of all the other capable woman on the political scene even as we go through this process. Clare McCaskill, Kathleen Sebelius, Kay Bay-Hutchison, Condi Rice, Tammy Baldwin all of whom are more representative of strong, capable, self-actualized woman than Mrs. Clinton who has her husband to thank for her current standing. She has shown herself on now many occasions to be not the best representative of woman. As for me, I prefer to wait for a better candidate. One who doesn't bring the baggage about which she so proudly spoke.

History is going to be made lynn...with or without your vote...tell ur crew. It saddens me to think because of his skin color people will not vote for him...How stupid!!! Its time to make a change...step outside of the box.

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